Safe
by CManoso's Babe
Summary: (This story follows on from episode 22, as the elevator doors close) Maggie has brought Jason's killers to justice, which was extremely emotional and personal. OA decides to take her to dinner and feels his walls breaking down as he shares pieces of his life with her.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer:__ All familiar characters belong to the creators of the FBI Tv Show. I make no profit from this story._

_Key Point:__ This story is based heavily on their private lives, with a little FBI work in order to keep the story going. _

_Note:__ This is my first FBI and only my second story ever published online, so please be gentle. I only found the FBI tv show a few weeks ago. I binged the first 15 or so episodes, so there is a good chance that I have made a mistake or misinterpreted a character, which I apologise for._

**Chapter 1: SAFE**

The elevator doors close and a calm silence falls over OA and Maggie as they make their way to the SUV. Maggie had achieved her goal of finding out who had killed Jason and bringing them to justice – she expected some massive weight or burden to be lifted off her shoulders from the day's work. But in fact, at that moment, she had a mixture of confusing emotions running through her. She felt happy that she had achieved her goal; relieved that she was able to remain somewhat in control of her anger in order to bring the suspect in; and yet so empty. The emptiness was the most confusing part of all, but now wasn't the time to think about that.

As they got to the car, Maggie asked "So, where are you taking me to celebrate?"

OA raised his eyebrow in mock shock by Maggie's assumption that he was taking her out and paying. "Why am _I _taking _you_ out to celebrate? This is your celebration; shouldn't _you_ be taking _me _out?"

With a light jab from Maggie's elbow to OA's ribs, she teased "As if you would let me pay tonight."

OA quickly grabbed the keys from Maggie's hand and headed to the driver's side, "Well in that case, it's a surprise."

OA felt a little nervous about his sudden decision to surprise Maggie. He wanted to take her to his favourite Middle Eastern restaurant. The smells and aroma always reminded him of his parents' house, and the food always tasted like his mother's cooking. He loved this restaurant, the owners and the food, but especially the location. Before now, him and Maggie never really spoke about his life before joining the FBI, especially not his childhood or how he had grown up; and he wasn't sure if Maggie even enjoyed Middle Eastern cuisine. He was tempted to ask but decided against it. This case had been extremely personal for Maggie, and without hesitation, she had let him into her bubble and allowed him to help her. In a way, he wanted to share a small piece of his world with her too. With that decision now made, he decided to relax and enjoy the evening with her.

With a smile on their faces they proceeded to climb into the SUV and head out of the garage. The drive was filled with light conversation about the day they have had, and about random office gossip and stories.

So caught up in the conversation Maggie never even took note of where they were headed to. Before she knew it, they were pulling into a little alley way and OA's entire posture changed – his shoulders relaxed, and he seemed at ease with his surroundings. He gracefully exited the vehicle and made his way around to Maggie's side of the car. Maggie was slightly nervous – she had no idea where she was or what they were going to eat, but the atmosphere on the street was bubbly and slightly contagious. Further down the alleyway were children playing outside – some had a soccer ball and were kicking it, others were playing with a cart, and a group of young girls were playing dress up with their dolls. Elderly men were gathered around a small table watching 2 guys play a boardgame of something. As Maggie excited the SUV, the aromas in the air tickled her nose and her stomach made itself known with a loud roar of hunger.

Maggie blushed and OA chuckled at the announcement from her stomach, "You sound starved. We are eating around the corner. Come on, let's go."

Maggie took a long look down the alleyway and was amazed at the tangibility of happiness that she felt. She turned around and followed OA back up the alley and onto the main road. As they rounded the corner, she had to stop and gawk in awe at what she saw. The sun was setting, and the street was beginning to shine with soft lights from all the restaurants and stalls along the path. Each restaurant had an outdoor eating area that was garnished with throw pillows, low-lying tables, and shisha pipes. The outdoor areas were roofed with white tarp and decorated with tealights; and the colour schemes were all bright and vibrant.

It took OA a step or two to realise that Maggie was no longer walking beside him. When he turned around to check on her, he felt a small part of his walls break down. There in front of him was the most beautiful, serene woman; feeling with all her heart, unable to school or hide what she was seeing or feeling. Her mouth was hanging open. Her eyes were wide and slowly gazing over every inch of the street in front of her, trying to take in every detail and spec.

He stood back and just watched her as she took in the sights. In that moment, he knew that he wanted to share his culture and traditions with her. Show her and let her experience the traditions and culture that has been such an influential part of his life, essential making him into the man that he is today.

As Maggie turned her head, she noticed OA leaning against the wall just fondly watching her with a goofy smile upon his face.

"It is truly beautiful, OA!" Maggie explained.

"Yeah. It's a little piece of home."

"I don't think I have ever experienced anything like it."

"What you mean?" OA asked, wanting to know exactly what she is referring to.

"The sight, the atmosphere and the smells all at once, I could get lost in it." Maggie explained.

"I know," and with that, OA pulled her away from the street and onto his favourite Egyptian restaurant's outdoor seating. All the food here was authentic and made very similarly to how his mother would cook. They quickly made themselves comfortable at a corner table that still allowed them to revel in the beauty of the street.

The menu consisted of a list of Egyptian food written in the 'English' alphabet. However, there were no pictures, no ingredient lists or descriptions of what the dish consisted of. OA held the menu slightly down, watching Maggie, wondering how long it would take before she asked for help.

Still looking at her menu, Maggie says, "OA?"

"Yeah."

"I have no idea what any of this is." Maggie says on a disappointed sigh.

"Yeah, I know. I was hoping that I could order for the both of us. Get a few of my favourite dishes and we can share them. That way you get to taste a variety of different things."

"Thank you," Maggie says, dropping her menu, no longer pretending to understand what was written in front of her.

When the waiter returned, OA ordered all of he's favourite dishes. It had been a long week and he was craving some comfort food, and in any way, he knew Maggie was starving too with that impromptu announcement from her stomach. He would never admit that a small of part of him also really wanted Maggie to see how amazing Egyptian food was.

After ordering, he relaxed a bit more into his seat, feeling the tension and weight of this week starting to melt away. They sat in a comfortable silence for a while just watching the buzz of the street in front of them.

The first dishes to arrive at their table were baba ghanoush and tzatziki with hawawshi and plain baladi bread. As the waiter places the dishes on the table, OA explains what they are, "This is baba ghanoush. It is cooked eggplant that is mashed with tahini, olive oil, basil and a few other seasonings. Here, have a taste," OA breaks off a piece of plain baladi bread, scoops up some baba ghanoush and leans across to let Maggie taste.

I soft groan of appreciation escapes as the flavours and spices tease her tastebuds.

"And that one is Tzatziki, which is a drained yoghurt sauce with cucumber, garlic and mint. This sauce complements so many different Arabic dishes, but I love eating it with hawawshi. These are like pitas that are stuffed with lamb, peppers, onions, garlic, eggplant and lots of herbs and spices." Again, OA takes a hawawshi triangle dips it in tzatziki a few times and learns across to give it to Maggie.

Again, Maggie's body immediately responds with a groan of appreciation. The flavours are amazing and she feels her stomach begging her for more.

"No one makes better hawawshi than my grandmother. I have spent years trying them in different restaurants and they come close, but nothing compares to the flavor of hers." Sorrow and pain flash across OA's face and Maggie wanders why.

Without prompting OA continues, "I have tried. I've tried to make them according to her recipe dozens of times, but they just don't taste the same. When I was 14 years old, I was grounded for a month out of my summer holidays, and my grandmother tried to teach me to make them. I thought I knew better and never listened to what she was showing me. It's one of my biggest regrets … not learning more about my culture from my grandparents when I had the opportunity to … not asking them questions … not finding out more about the struggles, the experiences, the stories that they had to share with us." OA explains as he tries to avoid looking at Maggie, not wanting her to see the pain and sadness currently evident in his face and eyes, which she obviously notices immediately.

Maggie leans over slightly, putting her hand on OA's, conveying her comfort and understanding.

Trying to alleviate the heaviness of the previous conversation, but also entirely entranced by the food in front of her, Maggie asks "Please tell me more about all this food. Can you cook any of what's on the table? This bread is amazing!"

OA quickly finds himself chuckling as Maggie tries to scoop up some more baba ghanoush but it keeps sliding off her baladi and back into the bowl. OA leans over, takes the baladi from Maggie's hand, curves it upwards in his fingers and scoops up some baba ghanoush for her. Maggie quickly thanks OA, and tries the next one by herself, a smile breaking across her face as she gets the baba ghanoush and baladi into her mouth without an incident.

"Unfortunately, the 'bread', baladi, is the one thing on the table that I can't make at all. It is made in large, round drums that are heated to very specific temperatures before the bread is laid on the sides and left to cook. It is a fascinating process to watch."

"That's sounds interesting, but I can't quite imagine it." Maggie remarks, as she proceeds to eat the baladi and baba ghanoush as a seasoned pro.

"I have never seen it made like that, other than in traditional marketplaces in Egypt." OA admits, wondering for the first time how they make it here.

A waiter brings out the next few dishes and OA starts explaining them to Maggie, "Over here, this is Kushari. This dish often reminds me of the British dish of bubble-and-squeak, combining all the leftovers into one dish. It is traditionally made with spaghetti and pasta rings, rice, lentils, hummus, caramelized onions and a thick, strongly spiced tomato sauce. Some people eat it with baladi, but I prefer it by itself."

Maggie quickly finds herself choking. The spices in this dish are a little strong and caught her off guard. "It's good, but a little strongly spiced."

OA pushes the kabab wa kofta plate towards Maggie instead, "Try this. I think you will enjoy the aroma and flavor of this. It is basically lamb pieces that are marinated for hours, and then cooked over a very low heat for a quite a while."

"Mmm, that sounds great. Do I just eat it like this?" Maggie enquires.

"Not quite. Take a piece of baladi in your hand like this," OA notes, placing the baladi flat on the palm of his hand, "then add some of the green veg from the side of the plate, then some meat, and add tzatziki on top. Wrap the sides of the baladi bread up like this and enjoy."

OA couldn't help the smile that appeared on his face, and the warm flutter that emerged in his stomach from the sight in front of him. Maggie had sauce running down her fingers, hands and arms, as well as her mouth but she was so enjoying her food that she didn't seem to notice.

"I am already getting full, but that was so amazing, that I have to have more," Maggie stated before making herself another one.

The rest of the eating passed in comfortable conversation about the different foods in front of them. OA explained how to make them and variations that he enjoyed. Maggie expressed her interest in trying more another time. Before they knew it, the food was finished and their table was being cleared. The two sat back in their chairs and further relaxed to the soft sounds of music mixed with the buzz of the street.

"You know a lot about how to make these foods. Does that mean that you often make them?" Maggie asked out of pure curiosity.

"Yeah, I suppose." OA replied, thinking about it. In his family, this type of meal was an every night occurrence. They never really ate out – his mother was expected to have a cooked meal on the table every night. "I prefer to cook than to eat out. It's relaxing. It gives me a way to decompress after a long day, and I suppose it's the way I change my mood from work to private life."

Maggie thought about that for moment, wondering if she had any routine in her life that helped her adjust to home life. Before she could really decide on a certain answer, OA asked her a question, "What about you? Do you cook?"

"Um … not really. I mean … I can make a few things like sandwiches and pasta, but I wouldn't have any idea where to even begin with something like this." Maggie answered, feeling a little embarrassed about the truth to her answer.

Maggie and OA relaxed for a while longer, watching the people around them and just enjoying each other's company, until OA realized that Maggie was starting to slightly shiver in the cooler Autumn evening. OA beckoned a waiter and paid for dinner, before standing and offering Maggie his light jacket.

"Here put this on and let me get you home before you shiver to death."

"I'm fine, OA. I don't need your jacket." Maggie interjected, quickly refusing his jacket.

OA pushed the jacket back at Maggie, insisting "Please, you are doing this for me more than yourself. If you get sick, I will be stuck with your paperwork and a stand-in partner while you are off."

"Pleeeeaaaassseee…" OA started to beg, looking like he was in agonizing pain.

With a lot of fake effort, Maggie put the coat on and dragged herself towards the car.

Two minutes into their drive back to Maggie's apartment, she was fast asleep in the passenger seat. OA peeked a look, nodding his head when he saw her asleep. He had been expecting, waiting for this all night – the adrenaline crash / dump after the emotionally, adrenaline-high afternoon that she had had. He wanted to be with her when this happened, because everybody experiences and deals with an adrenaline dump differently and he wanted to make sure that she was ok, which she was – safe and warmly tucked in his car, with at least a 40 minute drive to her apartment.

_Thank you for reading Chapter 1. Please review to let me know what you think._


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer:__ All familiar characters belong to the creators of the FBI Tv Show. I make no profit from this story._

_Key Point:__ This story is based heavily on their private lives, with a little FBI work in order to keep the story going. _

**Chapter 2: SAFE**

As they pulled up to Maggie's apartment OA thought that the stopping of the car would wake Maggie up, but she was soundly asleep not even flinching when he released his seatbelt.

OA knew better than to shake or poke someone like them awake, not because of the obvious adrenaline crash that she is experiencing at the moment, but because of all the trauma that they have seen. Those first few seconds of waking up can often be confusing for him – not sure where he is, or even who may be around him and his body automatically goes into 'fight or flight' mode. Instead, he softly said Maggie's name, trying to wake her up peacefully. After a few attempts Maggie started to stir.

OA spoke in a calm, soothing voice Maggie had never heard him use before. For a moment, she wasn't even sure that it was him. "Mags, you are in my SUV and we are parked outside of your apartment. You are experiencing a bit of an adrenaline crash after today's events. I'm going to come around to your side and I'll help you into your apartment. Ok?"

Maggie sat up a little straighter and her head started pounding even harder. She hadn't realized the light, constant thumb from the start of a headache until that movement, but now it felt like it had been present for hours already. She leant back against the headrest again to ease the pain.

Slowly she eased herself out of the car and dragged her tired body up the stairs to the security door. Her legs and arms felt heavier than usual, and required more energy than she had available for such a mundane task. By the time they had reached her second-floor landing, she was exhausted and out of breath. Maggie didn't even notice that OA had placed a reassuring hand on her lower back as they climbed the stairs. He did it more for his own sake and piece of mind, in case she stubbled backwards.

'Give me a moment' she whispered, barely loud enough for OA to hear. OA stood patiently at her door, waiting for her to find her keys. He removed his hand from her back and placed it in his pockets in a comfortable position. Maggie immediately missed the comforting, supportive feel. She was starting to feel empty again. The day's activities had been fulling and satisfying, but at the same time they brought the horrible lose that she had once felt back up to the surface. And she really didn't want to be alone in her apartment – the apartment that her and Jason once shared together.

After opening her door, Maggie walked in, dropping her badge, keys and gun on the side table next to the entrance way as she always does. Walking towards the kitchen, she hollered over her shoulder "Want a water?" to which OA replied "Sure." Until that moment OA wasn't sure if he should come in or excuse him and give her some space.

Returning to the living room with waters and apples in her arms, she found OA sitting comfortably on the couch looking at the pictures she has in the coffee table. Maggie made her way over to sit on the couch next to OA. She handed him the bottle of water and apple.

"This is beautiful, Maggie. I never noticed it last time I was here." OA said, a little surprised that he hadn't noticed this before.

"It normally has a lot of different things on top on the table." Maggie admitted a little shyly. She normally made sure that there were odds and ends on the table. It was absolutely beautiful but looking at it often made her extremely sad.

"It was a present from my parents and Jason for my birthday. A week before Jason's car accident … I mean … well, um…" Maggie hesitated, carefully thinking about how to say that now. It wasn't a car accident. They had proved that, but calling it murder sounded wrong and too harsh in her head, so she tried again. "A week before Jason's death, I turned 30 and this was my present. My parents and Jason chose some of my favourite pics which they arranged on the middle glass section of our existing coffee table, and then 'laminated' it with another thin sheet of glass. This over here is the birthday poem from my parents and this one here is from Jason." Maggie explained around the lump in her throat.

OA and Maggie sat in silence while OA perused the photos in front of him. He quickly found his favourite photo – Maggie sitting on a low-slung beach chair; her hair is hanging in light waves down her face and around her shoulders; her eyes are bright and happy; with a smile that could melt the toughest of hearts. She had dug her feet in shallow graves in the sand beneath them. And she wasn't particularly focused on any one thing – she looked completely relaxed and at ease. Not a shadow of a doubt or worry in her mind. OA begged to know what was going through her mind right then and there, wondering what her so happy.

Maggie realized that they had both been silent for ages, and looked up to see OA staring lovingly at one particular photo. It was a photo that she loved dearly of herself. Maggie leaned forward, rubbing her index finger gently over her face in the photo as if that would bring back some of the happiness she had felt that day.

"I love that photo. Well, actually, I love the way I felt in that photo. It was one of the happiest days of my life." Maggie explained.

"Can I ask why?" OA asked, a little unsure of whether he was crossing that invisible line he had always set with previous colleagues or team mates.

He took a swig of his water and put the bottle on the side table, before leaning back and relaxing into the chair. Maggie made herself comfortable next to OA before explaining, "I had been a cop for about 3 years before moving to New York where I joined the FBI. I always knew that I wanted to be FBI and I worked extremely hard for it. This job, our job was my dream – I would do anything for it. I pushed and pushed myself, always taking the most difficult cases, working the crazy shifts. The day I interviewed for this position I was so nervous that I walked out of the interview determined that the next day I would be fired, not promoted. I felt like I had failed, like everything I had worked so hard for, would never come true."

Maggie opened her water and took a sip too before continuing, "The weekend after the interview, Jason took me away for the weekend to try and make me feel better. We went to this quaint, little cottage on the beach in Hawaii. The house was gorgeous and I love the water so I immediately felt at home and relaxed. The world seemed like a different lifetime ago, and I could effectively just be me. It was early Monday morning when I got a call saying that I had been accepted. They would be sending through the contract that afternoon and I was to report to our now offices the following week."

"I was so excited and happy and overwhelmed at the same time. I felt on top of the world. In that moment I could accomplish anything and I had accomplished everything all in one." Maggie said, playing with the bottle top in her hands.

OA watched at she explained how she felt. He could see the emotions running across her face, and would give anything to keep that 200-watt smile on her face as she explained how happy she was. He was concentrating so hard on her smile that he missed what she had muttered under her breath.

"Huh? What was that?" OA asked, confused at how quickly her smile had disappeared. "All I heard was 'opposite'."

"Nothing. It's not important."

"It so obviously is. What did you say?"

Knowing she wasn't going to get away with denying it, Maggie owned up and admitted what she said, "I said – Almost exactly opposite of how I feel now. Like I said, nothing important."

Maggie shifted in her seat, suddenly feeling betrayed by her emotions and eyes as unshed tears started to swell in her eyes. OA put his hand on her shoulder to silently support her, not sure exactly what to say. Though he knew exactly what he wanted to do.

The tears started to slowly run down her cheeks at the feel of comfort and support from his hand.

"He's gone, OA. He's gone." Maggie sound softly, as if saying the words any louder would make them more true.

"He left me. All alone. Just me and all of his stuff." Maggie continued around silent sobs and shallow breaths. OA leaned forward wrapping his arm around her shoulders pulling her head into the crock of his neck and down on to the couch with him. She cuddled in and cried, letting everything she had thought on repeat out.

"It's not fair… He didn't deserve that… Why him? … I don't understand. … We had this whole life planned together… He wanted kids… I told him to wait… That we had time… But we didn't … None of us know when… Just gone… No warning… Gone… I didn't say goodbye or anything … Just gone… and then I'm alone… All alone."

OA rubbed her back and whispered soft words of ok and agreement as she cried in his arms. The crying and soft sobs had quietened down. OA peeked down to see that Maggie was once again asleep, but this time safely tucked into the crock of his arm, calmed by his steady heartbeat beneath her head.


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer:__ All familiar characters belong to the creators of the FBI Tv Show. I make no profit from this story._

_Key Point:__ This story is based heavily on their private lives, with a little FBI work in order to keep the story going. _

**Chapter 3: SAFE**

_OA rubbed her back and whispered soft words of ok and agreement as she cried in his arms. The crying and soft sobs had quietened down. OA peeked down to see that Maggie was once again asleep, but this time safely tucked into the crock of his arm, calmed by his steady heartbeat beneath her head._

Not sure that Maggie would want him there when she awoke, he made a slow move to lay her down on the coach and leave. But as he moved, she grabbed his shirt, fisting it in her hand, muttering a small groan that could have been interpreted as "Please don't". So, he didn't. He decided to stay.

OA watched her sleep, the slow rise and fall of her chest mesmerizing. In that moment, he thought that he had never felt such calm and contentment with his life. He had known for a while that he was falling for his partner, but sitting there, holding her in his arms cemented that notion for him. He never wanted that moment to end. He hated the pain that she was feeling that brought them to their position, and he would do anything to take that pain away from her. She deserved to be happy. She deserved to feel the way she had on that day on the beach. OA decided right then and there that he would do anything possible to see that smile on her face again.

He pulled her a little tighter against him. Resting his head on the top of hers, he whispered, "You aren't alone anymore. You have me." Then he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

OA awoke as the sun was rising through Maggie's blinds in the living room. It started off by warming his feet, then ankles and was now slowly making is way up his calves. Without jarring Maggie, he leaned over to check the time on his phone – 06:07. He had overslept. By this time he would normally have finished morning prays and be halfway through breakfast. He slowly raised himself off of the couch, lying Maggie's head on a small throw pillow. He looked around the living room for a blanket but couldn't find any, so he took his jacket that she had discarded at the door and placed it over her. He sat on the armchair opposite her to put his shoes on, but quickly found himself sitting back just watching her sleep again. She looks so peaceful, so relaxed. He wondered if she ever had the type of nightmares that he had. Thinking about it. Last night, sleeping there with Maggie on the couch was probably the longest uninterrupted sleep he has gotten in months. His nights normally are broken up by nightmares. Nightmares actually sound to calm. It's more like terrifying, realistic reenactments of his time sent in core.

Those thoughts sure snapped him out of the moment, so he tied his shoelaces, put his gun in his holster, attached his badge and grabbed his keys. He needed to head home and re-center himself before heading to the JOC. He took one last look at sleeping beauty and opened the door to leave. Right there in the center of the door was a bright red note with a message on it. At first glance it looked like a love note. His pace picked up and bile rose in his throat. He knew that he held no claim to Maggie, but that didn't matter when it came to the jealousy he felt. For a quick minute he walked the blurry line between respecting her privacy and just reading the note. It's not like it was in an envelope. Nor was it being hand delivered to her. It didn't have her name clearly on display on the top.

It didn't take him long to break down and just read the note. Within seconds, the jealousy turned to pure rage. He was seeing red as his hands turned to balls of fists at his side. His breathing turned shallow and his body was ready for any threat. He took his phone out to take a few pictures of the scene, before using his gloves to remove the card from the door. He walked back into Maggie's apartment and placed the note on the kitchen breakfast bar before making his way over to the couch that she was so peacefully sleeping on. He softly ran this hand over her hair to her chin, slightly cupping her face gently. He didn't want to wake her. She was so peaceful. But he knew better than to hold this back from her. He softly said her name a few times before she started to stir.

"Mags, I need you to wake up." OA pleaded with her in a soft, calm voice that gave none of the anger he was feeling away.

"Why? It's still early." She replied in a gravely voice, sleep so evident in it.

"Mags, I need you wake up. I need to tell you something."

"I already know. You spent the night. I remember waking up at some point." She replied with a small smile on her lips. That statement made his heart swell – she woke up to find that she was sleeping in his arms and she never left. But there were more pressing matters at the moment.

"Yeah, I did. There is something more important though."

"Can we make coffee first? _PLEASE!" _Maggie begged. Her eyes still closed but a clear smile on her face.

"How about I make coffee and you wake up properly? Your coffee will be in the kitchen when you're ready." OA said in his calmest voice while standing to make his way to the kitchen. A few seconds later he heard Maggie padding to the bathroom.

Maggie appeared in the kitchen from a fresh shower in a pair of jeans and shirt and a loose-cut gray shirt. Her hair was tied up in a messy ponytail and she smelt amazing. It took all OA's self-control to not kiss her senseless right there in her kitchen.

Maggie was anxious about what OA had to say. He looked serious and he kept running his hand down his face. He only does that when he's nervous about something. She remembered last night well. She had woken up during the night to find herself lying on his chest with his one arm wrapped securely around her and his other hand resting comfortably on her hip. She wasn't sure if he would want to wake up in that position in the morning, so she made an attempt to move to her bed, but he quickly tightened his arms, making it impossible for her to even move, never mind leave him. She was comfortable where she was so she didn't even try any further.

"I was going to make you breakfast but couldn't find any ingredients." OA admitted with a cheeky smirk.

"Yeah, I don't have any." Maggie said, hiding her head in her hands. She was just glad that things between them felt normal.

OA poured her a cup of coffee and handed it over before continuing.

"Maggie," OA paused not sure how to continue.

"Spit it out, OA! You're making me nervous."

"Mags, I was on my way out the door this morning, when I found this." He picked up the card and held it out for her.

She took the card from him using the glove he currently had folded over it. If he was this anxious and serious about the card then it must be important, she thought.

As she read the card she felt anger and rage rise within her. Her palms started to sweat. Was someone threatening her? Why? They hadn't had any particularly bad cases lately. But who? Who would threaten her?

Finding her voice, she asked OA, "Start at the beginning, please. Where was it? Did you see anyone wondering around? Anything out of the ordinary."

OA could clearly see the anger that she felt. But he could also hear the tiniest bit of fear in her voice. She had lost so much already and she wasn't sure if she could survive losing anyone else she cared deeply about.

"Yeah. It was just after 0600 and I was heading home. I opened the door and there in the middle of the door was this note. It was stuck to the door with blue-tac. I took a few photos and then removed the card using my gloves. I placed the card on this table and then woke you up." OA said so matter-of-factly while handing over his phone with the pictures on. Maggie looked through the pictures carefully. Not noticing anything important or of significance she handed the phone back to OA. Both of them noticed the slight tremor of her hands. She picked up the card again – reading the card aloud this time:

"_Having someone special in your life will make this way more fun!  
__I know who you are, I know what you like, but more importantly I know your greatest fear. Can you afford to lose another special someone?"_

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" Maggie said repeatedly.

OA walked around the breakfast bar until he was standing next to her. He turned her chair around until she was facing him. She was just staring at the card. He saw a single tear roll down her cheek. She was shaking from the anger. He quickly wiped the tear away – not even sure that she noticed it. Then he lightly placed his finger under her chin and raised her face until she was looking at him instead.

"Maggie, I won't let anything happen to you. I promise." OA said, hoping his eyes and tone were expressing the sincerity in which he meant that.

"I'm not worried about me. I'm worried about you." Maggie explained quickly.

OA thought about that for a second, then raised his eyebrow in confusion, asking Maggie what she meant. Why him?

"OA, think about it. You were here last night. Don't you think they are talking about you and me? Shit! Does that mean that someone was watching us yesterday? Damn it! I was so tired when we got home. I wasn't aware of my surroundings. I can't even say if there was anyone around that looked out of place." Maggie expressed. Each statement getting a little more frantic than the previous one. Her heart was racing. She had been trained better than this.

"Mags, breath, please." He waited for her to take some deep breaths before he continued, "Yeah, I've been thinking about it. I do think someone has been watching. I'm not sure if they are watching me or watching you, but I think that it is relevant that they left the first message for both of us to find." OA explained.

"I think we need to hand this into the JOC for fingerprint and DNA analysis, maybe even handwriting analysis. See what the lab can find." OA continued, giving Maggie a chance to catch her breath.

"Yeah… yeah, I definitely want to hand it over… but do you think we could keep the fact that you were here last night out of the story. There's enough rumors about us already, I don't want to add fuel to the fire." Maggie added a little shyly. She didn't want OA to think that she embarrassed or trying to hide anything, but she also didn't want the rumors to get any worse.

"Of course. No problem. I found it when I came to fetch you for work. How's that?" OA said with a bright smile on his face.

"Perfect! Thanks. Give me 5 minutes and then we can head in." Maggie said as she left the kitchen.

"Just an FYI, we are definitely making a pitstop at that coffee place on the way. The one with the donuts that I love." Maggie shouted from her bedroom as she put on shoes and brushed her hair. Today was going to be a long day and she needed stronger coffee and a little something sweet to get through it.

Within minutes she was back in the living room putting her gun in its holster and clipping on her badge. As they walked out the door, Maggie was surprised that she felt safe even with an active threat against her. Knowing that OA was beside her, she was certain that they could get through anything that was thrown their way.

Walking out the door OA thought about how nice it felt to be leaving the house together. He had never allowed himself to think about an ordinary life that involved a wife or family, but he had to admit that the past few hours made him want it more so than ever before.


	4. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer:__ All familiar characters belong to the creators of the FBI Tv Show. I make no profit from this story._

_Key Point:__ This story is based heavily on their private lives, with a little FBI work in order to keep the story going._

**Chapter 4: SAFE**

_As they made their way down to the car, both OA and Maggie were extra vigilant. Constantly scanning the surrounding areas, analyzing every person's body language and searching the surrounding buildings for threats._

_As they approached the car, Maggie's thoughts ran back over the past 24 hours and all the emotions that she has felt. She had appreciated that OA had waited to ask her to dinner until after they had caught Jason's killers. Somehow, he had known that catching them would slowly allow her the opportunity to say goodbye to Jason and let go of some of the anger, grief and sorrow that she had been feeling. It would allow her in time, some time, to make space in her heart for someone else; for something or someone that made her happy again. It wasn't her fault that Jason had been killed in that car accident. If she hadn't been working and had been with him, they would have just found another way to kill him; to silence him._

_Maggie wanted to feel the ease and happiness that she had felt last night some more. And she was angry with this threat, because it was pulling her out of that happy bubble and back to reality. She broke the silence and tension with a child-like suggestion, "I'll play you rock, paper, scissors to see who drives."_

_"Ok. Definitely. Best of three?" OA responded confidently. He knew Maggie really well and she always chose 'rock', making it easy to beat her._

_"Wipe that smirk off your face. Today will be the day I finally beat you."_

_"Give it your best! Ready? Rock. Paper. Scissors. Go!" And with each word they hit their fists against their palms until they each revealed their piece on 'Go'. As per usual, Maggie went with 'rock' and OA beat her with 'paper'. OA immediately started laughing when he saw the disappointment sneak onto Maggie's face._

_"We said best of 3, so are you ready? Rock. Paper. Scissors. Go!" and again they hit their fists against their palms until they each revealed their sign. This time OA went with scissors just to put a smile back on Maggie's face and to make round 3 more fun, but Maggie saw through it immediately._

_"You cheated! You let me win! Just for that, I'm driving." Maggie said with a smirk across her face, as she took the keys from OA's hand and headed for the drivers' side. On alert again, Maggie and OA continued to scan the buildings, sidewalks, alleyways, terraces and people for any sign of an active threat or someone surveilling them._

_The drive to Maggie's favourite coffee shop was uneventful and quick. "A pot of 'uck" was only a 5-minute drive from Maggie's apartment but she never got to pop in there as often as she would like. The owner, Sinead, was so friendly and helpful, and Maggie really seemed to connect with her, when she first moved into the neighborhood all those years ago. OA didn't mind Maggie driving – it gave him the opportunity to properly watch and check for tails or any other signs that someone was following them. _

_On arrival, Maggie couldn't find a parking, so she double parked in front of the shop, while OA quickly ran in for their coffees and donuts._

_Sinead was behind the coffee machine this morning and greeted OA in her sweet Irish accent as he walked through the doors, "Mornin OA. How're you doing? The normal order?"_

_"Good morning, Sinead. Yes, please. Normal coffee order but can you double the donuts. It's going to be a long day for Maggie."_

_"Well, of course." and off Sinead went on the coffee machine._

_When the coffees were ready, OA made his way over to Sinead to settle his account. Sinead handed him the coffees and an envelope addressed to Maggie. "I was really hoping that Maggie would come in today, as I found this piece of her mail in amongst my mail this morning. I see she's in the car, so wouldn't you mind giving that to her?"_

_OA's body immediately tensed and for the umpteenth time in the last 24 hours he felt his pulse begin to race and the hairs rise on the back of his neck. His hand immediately went to the gun on his hip and as he spun around to check on his partner, three shots were fired directly at him. The flash of something propelling through the air directly towards him, had his gun out of its holster and levelled directly at the building opposite them, but to his surprise he couldn't see anything out of the front window. The shots that had been fired were paintball bullets and the pink, blue and yellow paint covered the front window of the coffee shop. OA grabbed the coffees, donuts and envelope while mumbling an apology to Sinead as he ran out of the coffee shop and towards Maggie._

_Maggie was out of the car, hunkered down on the sidewalk, checking each building on the opposite side of the coffee shop for any sign of a 'paintball sniper'. People seemed to continue moving about their day, looking at OA and Maggie as if they were crazy. _

_Each looked at the other, and silently and unanimously, they decided to get into the car and head to the JOC. They needed to brief the team and debrief themselves on what had happened in the past 12 hours._

_Maggie exchanged the keys with the envelope and donuts. As OA pulled away from the curb Maggie pulled out a pair of gloves and picked up the envelope. She looked at the writing on the front of the envelope and the unstamped postage mark. This letter hadn't been mailed. It must have been hand delivered and purposefully put amongst Sinead's mail. Maggie's blood ran cold and her stomach dropped. For a split second she thought she was going to be sick and there were small black dots filling the sides of her sight. Her lungs felt constricted and it burnt to take in any breathe. OA quickly pulled over onto the curb and reached across the console. He placed his hand in the middle of Maggie's shoulders and pushed her head between her legs. Maggie complied with OA's movements and could hear him whispering over and over again, "Maggie, I'm right here. Deep breathes, ok? Deep breathes. Nothing is going to happen to you. I'm right here."_

_Through her struggled breathes and soft sobs, OA could softly hear Maggie saying, "Don't you get it, OA, it's not me I'm worried about. It's you. I __**CAN NOT**__ lose you! I can't go through that again. I won't survive loosing someone else that I love. I just can't."_

_Not sure wat or how to respond, OA just continued to rub her back and whisper that he was there, right there with her. When oxygen finally found its way back into Maggie's lungs and she could sit up normally again, OA pulled back into traffic and continued on his way to the JOC. _

_Maggie looked across at OA, with a soft smirk on her face, "Maybe we can wait until we've parked in the basement before you open this envelope."_

_"Me? Why am I opening the envelope? It's addressed to you. Shouldn't you open it?"_

_"Yeah, but we already know it's from someone that is trying to kill one of us and he has already made an attempt on your life, so I think you should be the one to open it. Continue with that good luck run of yours."_

_OA just laughed and was happy that the previous tension had broken in the car. "Yeah, that's fine. I suppose you're already trying to kill yourself with all those donuts you're eating over there. Wouldn't want to double those odds."_

_Maggie snorted in shock at his remark and play smacked him with the back of her hand, before wiping all the excess cream and sugar off her face and clothing._

_As OA parked the car in the underground garage, Maggie pulled out a fresh set of gloves for him and hand him the gloves and envelope. Together they opened the envelope and took out the folded note. Maggie leaned in, across the console to see what was inside. OA held the note in between the two of them so that they both could read it:_

_Bang! Bang! Bang!_

_Three shots to the heart. You're dead!_

_I know you well, better than you know yourselves or each other. _

_Maggie, your biggest fear has just come true. _

_You have lost the person that you love again. _

_You weren't able to save or protect him._

_Omar, you are dead and unable to protect, care for or look after Maggie just as you have always thought. _

_I could do anything I like to her now and I will when you're gone._

_Can you save each other? _

_Are you really safe?_


End file.
